Brother and Sister
by YamiChaos27
Summary: Also on DeviantArt. What if Kairi had an older brother? An older brother named Kai. The siblings have a very close relationship and they thought they'd always have each other. But time has a cruel way of changing things. Close to canon, with some Kairi POV. SoraXKairi in later chapters.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This will be my first story I'm posting on this site. I know I relatively new here, but I hope to get some decent reviews. Here we have the Prologue. This is the only part that's entirely first person narrated, however there will be some brief first person here and there by our two main characters. With all that said, enjoy.  
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**Prologue**

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_My name is Kai, a young boy living in a place called Radiant Garden. Some say I'm: quiet, shy, socially awkward, a loner. And maybe their right. Truth be told, I'm just always having trouble opening up to people. I never really felt comfortable around others, except for family. My father, Suzaku, was a soldier in the Radiant Castle Guard. He was stated to be the very best there ever was. He was my hero, and I always wanted to be just like him. I used to watch him train with a sword everyday; so much that I often mimicked his movements._

_Unfortunately, he suddenly died. No one told me what happened. I was only 8 years old then, so they probably figured I wouldn't understand. My father's death wounded me deeply, but not as deeply as my mother, Mira. She was severely grief-stricken. She could hardly stop crying. I tried to comfort her, but I never really knew what to say._

_And then, not long after Father's death, it was time to deliver another baby. I stood outside the room, waiting, while my mother, my Grandma Elise, and a doctor were inside. I heard mother screaming in agony. It was loud and somewhat frightening. I could only imagine the pain she was in. I could hardly bear hearing it. I don't know how long it lasted, but soon that scream was replaced by a baby's cry. And soon after, it was all silence._

_Curious, I slowly walked into the room. I saw who I expected, my mother lying in bed, my grandmother, and the doctor. Then I saw something wrapped in a towel in grandma's arms. Mother didn't look very well, yet she was smiling as she touched the little thing in the towel._

_"She's so... beautiful," Mother said weakly._

_"Mira, please," Grandma said with concern, "save your strength."_

_"My little girl." Mother gazed at the little thing. Soon, she noticed me, staring from afar. "Oh, Kai... Come here... There's someone... I want you to meet."_

_I slowly approached, until I was next to Grandma Elise, who held the wrapped towel toward me, revealing a small cute sleeping face._

_"Meet your... new baby sister," Mother said, "her name is... Kairi."_

_"Kairi," I echoed, looking at the baby in awe. It was overwhelming to know that I was now a big brother._

_"You'll take... good care of her,... won't you?" Mother asked in a raspy voice._

_"I...," I stammered, still overwhelmed. "Of course I will."_

_"Good," she said as she suddenly collapsed. Her arm fell, and her eyes shut._

_"Mira!" Grandma shouted in a worried tone._

_That prompted me to look at mother, worried as well. "Mom?"_

_The doctor checked her and soon she shook her head 'No', telling us Mother was gone. My heart ached, I couldn't believe both my parent were gone. Tears began to run down my eyes. The pain was so great, I felt liked I'd go insane. But then I looked at the baby, my new sister, Kairi._

_"Poor little dears," Grandma Elise said sadly. "It must be very hard for a child to lose not one but both parents." She then looked at little Kairi. "But, this poor thing will grow up never knowing either of them." I carefully touched the baby's cheek; so soft and smooth. Then Grandma let me hold her. "You are a big brother now. And that means you have a responsibility to your sister. With your parents gone, you must take good care of her. Not just for your parents, but for her sake as well."_

_As I looked at the little one, the baby opened her eyes and stared back. Mother was right, she was beautiful. She had this strange glow about her. I'm not sure what it was, but that glow filled my heart, easing my pain. Soon she briefly smiled at me, before falling back asleep. I knew right a way that this child was special. How I cherished her deeply. I heeded Grandma's words as I held my sister close. I vowed, from then on, I would protect Kairi, no matter what the cost._

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**Author's note: And that was the prologue. I hope you liked it. Please review.**


	2. Induction

**Author's Note: And now where our story begins, with one of the main characters becoming the youngest Recruit.**

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**Induction**

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_KAI__: It had been four years since I made my vow. I wanted to protect my little sister no matter what. But in order to protect, needed power. Self-taught practicing was not enough. In this town, there was only one place I could go... to obtain the power to protect._

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At the Front Doors of Radiant Garden Castle, a duel was going on. It was between a brown-haired man in a gray uniform, wielding an ax, and a red-haired boy, no older than twelve, wielding a katana. The man's name was Aeleus, one of the Castle Guards, and he was testing a few young warriors to be a part of the Castle Guard Recruits. He was amazed to see a boy three years younger than the minimum age had the guts to try out.

The boy was fighting bravely, attacking Aeleus with swift attacks. But the brute kept knocking his blows back. Despite his futile attempts to lay a scratch on the man, the boy continued his assault. Soon the guard managed to punch the boy in the stomach knocking him back away, flat on the ground, dropping his sword.

"You should go home, Kid," said Aeleus as he shouldered his ax. "You're too young for this."

But the boy grabbed his katana and tried to get up. He was a little shaky but he managed to get up rather quickly. The guard stood by to see what he'd do next. The kid then got into a stance; one that looked familiar to Aeleus. He charged at the brute with a series of attacks that are a bit more unorthodox. Aeleus managed to guard his attacks and then threw a backswing punch, only for the kid to crouch down avoiding it and then immediately performed a jumping upward slash. He successfully nicked him in the shoulder, but couldn't stick the landing and fell on his butt.

The guard then pointed his ax at the boy at close range, cause the boy to freeze in place. "Interesting," he said. "Well, you get points for actually laying a scratch on me. No examinee has done that before." He then lowers his weapon. "But that style you just used, where did you learn that? What is your name?"

The boy took a minute to answer. "My name... is Kai," he said. "I used to watch my father train."

"I see," Aeleus said. "You're Suzaku's boy... aren't you." Kai nodded. "So you decided to follow in you fathers foot steps. I'll admit, Kai, I'm impressed that you were able to imitate his style through mere observation. Though you still have much to learn." Aeleus shouldered his ax as he stood there, in thought. Kai stood up and await the guard's decision. "You do show some promise, but I'm still concerned about whether we should let in someone as young as you. Hmm. For this, I'm going to need to consult His Lordship. If you're serious about joining, I want you to meet me back here later. You'll have you're answer then."

Kai bowed as he said, "Yes sir."

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Wanting to pass the time, Kai went out to the gardens outside of town. He laid down on the field, as he gazed up at the clear sky. Soon he decided to rest his eyes. He didn't know how long he'd been like that; could've been an hour, could've been ten minutes. Then he felt a shadow looming over him. Curious to what it was, he opened one eye. As his vision focused, he saw the face of red-haired, violet-blue-eyed, four-year-old girl. This startled Kai, making him jump up to a sitting position, as he knew who it was. "Kairi."

Little Kairi giggled. "Kai, you sleepy head. What are you doing taking a nap all the way out here?" Kai didn't answer, only blushed as he rubbed the back of his head. He was embarrassed that he just made himself look lazy in front of his sister. She giggled again. "You are hopeless, Big Brother." She gave her brother a quick hug. "So... did you get into that... guard thing?"

Kai took a minute to answer. "I... don't know yet. I'm supposed to meet with them later."

"Oh, can I come? Can I come?"

"Um, well..."

"Pleeeeaase!"

Kai always found it difficult to deny her anything. Of course, he couldn't think of a reason why not anyways. So he just shrugged, stood up, and took her hand.

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The siblings walked back to the area of the Castle's Front Doors. They sat as they waited for Aeleus to return. They didn't wait that long when the brute showed up with unexpected company. Walking with him was a middle-aged man with long blond hair slicked back, and a short mustache and goatee. He wore white lab coat with a red sweater draped over his shoulders, like a scarf.

"Is that him?" said the man.

"Yes, My Lord," answered Aeleus.

The man walked up to Kai, who stood up with his sister behind him. "You are Kai, son of Suzaku, are you not?" the man asked.

"Uh... yes." Kai replied.

The man then noticed the little girl. "And who is this?"

"This is... my little sister."

"My name's Kairi," the girl said as she smiled and curtsied, "Hello!"

The man nodded with a smile. "I am known as Ansem the Wise, ruler of Radiant Garden." Kai was surprised to hear that the man standing before him was the lord of the castle in person. "I knew your father, Kai, he was a good man, and our finest warrior. I had a feeling you would one day request to be part of the guard just like him. But I must say, I didn't expect it to be this soon. You are how old now? Twelve years old?" Kai nodded. "Normally we don't let anyone in the Recruits until they are fifteen." Kai's expressionless look didn't change. "But you already knew that, didn't you? You could've waited another three years. Why are you in such a rush to join in?"

Kai looked at his sister, who stared back with a slightly confused expression. Kai smiled at her as he petted her red hair. Kairi made a cute smile at this gesture. Kai looked back at Ansem, with a serious expression. "I have something that... I really want to protect," was all he would say.

Ansem the looked at the duo and understood what he meant. "I see. But you do know that becoming an official member of the Guard is not an easy task, and as a Recruit you are expected to devote much of your time and effort into your training, am I correct?" Kai nodded again, his expression telling His Lordship that he was serious about this. Ansem looked back at his subordinate. "Aeleus, what are your thoughts?"

The guard thought for a second. "He's young, naïve, and not to mention stubborn. But he does have a lot of potential for someone his age. It's not as refined, but he was able to mimic his fathers style pretty well. Allowing him into the Recruits now may not be a bad idea."

Ansem the Wise went into deep thought for a minute. Kai waited in anticipation for his answer. Soon, the Radiant Ruler smiled as he made his decision. "Very well," he said. "From this day forward, Kai, son of Suzaku, you are now a member of the Castle Guard Recruits."

Kai was stunned at what he heard. He couldn't believe they actually let him in. Kairi was jumping up and down in excitement. "Yay! You're in, Big Brother! Isn't that great?"

It took a minute, but the boy was able to regain is composure, and bowed to Ansem the Wise. "Th-thank you sir."

"Alright then," said Ansem. "I'll see to it that a Recruit Uniform will be sent to you shortly. You and a few others will be presented to the group a week from today at the Central Square at noon. Try not to be late."

"Yes sir." Kai nodded. Kairi then giggled as she gave him a big hug. The boy hugged her back with a smile.

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_KAI__: All I wanted was her safety, her happiness, and whatever bright future may be waiting for one as special as her. And now I had a way to ensure all that. But as Aeleus pointed out, I still had a lot to learn. Whatever power I needed, I was willing to obtain it. Whatever the price, I was willing to pay it._

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**Author's Note: And there you have it. I know it may not seem like much, but hey I'm just getting started. I'm also open to some suggestions. Please review.**


	3. Kindness

**A/N: First let me give a shout out.**

**Tsubasa Tsukino 88: Thank you for being my very first reviewer on this site. Also thanks for the advice and suggestion.**

**Just wanted to established the general life and kindness of these two.**

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**Kindness**

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_KAIRI: My name is Kairi. A little girl in a big city. In Radiant Garden, I always wandered around, played with my friends, and heard stories from Grandma Elise. But most importantly, I always hung out with my big brother, Kai. Kai was always so quiet; he hardly ever speaks to me. But I don't mind, in fact, I think its kinda cute. He's always looking out for me, cuddling me when I was in pain, and just looking at me with those kind but strong eyes of his. I always felt safe whenever he was around. He was more than just my brother, he was my very best friend._

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Young Kairi was hanging out with her friends, young Yuffie, Rydia, and the twins, Palom and Porom, while Kai sat down on a bench watching from afar. She and Rydia were bouncing a ball at each other.

"And then Lord Ansem let him into the Guard even though he's normally not old of enough." Kairi said.

"Wow!" said Rydia. "He's so lucky."

"Your brother must be really strong to have made it in," said Porom.

"Big deal!" Palom boasted. "I bet I could get in right now if I wanted. Right, Porom?"

Porom whacked her twin brother upside the head. "Like they'd ever let a loud mouth like you in, Palom."

Yuffie was skipping around swinging a cardboard shuriken. "Well, I bet I can get in soon. I mean if Kai can do it, so can the Great Ninja Yuffie." She jumped up, doing did a quick spin. But when she landed, she lost her balance and fell on her bum. "Ow." She softly said rubbing her posterior.

As the others laughed at her, Rydia said, "Some 'Great Ninja'."

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up!" Yuffie shouted.

Rydia then bounced the ball higher than she meant to, and it flew over Kairi's head. Kairi tried to catch it, but wasn't looking where she was going. She slipped off a ledge and fell onto the concrete. "OOWW!"

Kai saw this. "Kairi!" he shouted as he immediately dash to his hurt sister. As he helped her up, he gave her a worried look.

"I-I'm o..kay," Kairi choked. She was hurt, but she was trying not to cry, holding back her tears. Seeing how strong her brother is, she wanted to be strong like him. She didn't want to look weak in front of him.

Kai was astounded at how his sister willed herself to not to cry. _What a tough little girl,_ he thought. He then saw a scrape on her elbow and immediately pulled out a roll of bandages and a small container of healing ointment. He applied some of the ointment onto her scrape and then wrapped some the bandages around her elbow. After that he massaged her wound gently.

Kairi smiled at this and quickly wiped the tears she was holding back. She then looked at the concerned looked in her brother's eyes. While he rarely spoke to her, sometimes she could tell what he wanted to say just by looking at his eyes. "I'll be more careful. I promise," she said.

Her friends then rushed up to her. "Are you okay?" asked Yuffie.

"I'm fine," answered Kairi.

"I'm sorry, Kairi," Rydia apologized. "I bounced that ball too high."

"It's okay, Rydia. It was just an accident. I'll be alright." Kairi then turned back to Kai and gave him a hug. "Thank you, Big Bro." She said as she and her friends returned to their fun.

Then an elderly voice from behind said, "My, you really are a great big brother."

Kai turned to the speaker, "Oh, Grandma Elise."

"Still, her effort to show as little pain as possible is quite remarkable for her age." Elise said. "She certainly is something special, isn't she?"

Kai watched his sister still playing with her friends. "Indeed," he said.

The grandmother chuckled a bit. "You know, she looks just like your mother at that age; even has her kindness," she said with a smile. But then it turned to a frown. "It's a pity Mira was much more fragile. It was a miracle she survived giving birth to you, but to give birth to a second child, and without her husband to be there for her, her chances were even slimmer. I had hoped that her holding on after the delivery meant she was going to be alright, but I couldn't have been more wrong. But Kairi, she is much stronger than she looks. Seeing her reminds me of Mira, and what she would've been had she not been so fragile."

Elise then chuckled again. "I remember your mother told me, while she was pregnant with Kairi, she had an extraordinary dream that her daughter would grow up to become a light of hope for all worlds. I truly believe that one day, Kairi will indeed help bring hope to everyone, just as she foresaw. Oh if only she could've lived to see her grow up."

Kai took in every word his grandmother said. He was still a bit sad about his mother's death, but Kairi's mere existence has always given him hope, and help him move on in life. She still had that mysterious glow he saw since she was born. Deep in his heart, he was jealous of her, but he always cherished her greatly. To him, she was the light within the darkness. He soon began to imagine the young woman she could become. What he saw was beautiful. "Until that day comes, I'll protect her with my life." he said. "I'll keep her safe, not only because she's special, or because she's my sister, but also because she's precious to me."

Elise smiled. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Kai." She looked over to Kairi and her friends, enjoying her granddaughter's happiness. "You know, now that you're part of the guard, you won't be able to spend as much time with her anymore. You might want to make the most of it while you can, before your first day."

Kai looked at his grandma and then back his sister. He then said, "Yeah."

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Later, Kai and Kairi went for a walk around the town. They soon came across an old duck with glasses, a blue jacket, a black top hat, and a cane. "Step right up!" he shouted holding up a few ice cream bars. "New in Radiant Garden! Get your Sea Salt Ice Cream Bars right here! A unique flavor indeed! So salty and yet so sweet! Step right up, please! I guarantee you won't regret!"

"Ice cream!" Kairi shouted with glee. "Can we get some, Kai?! Can we?!"

Kai always found it difficult to deny her anything, but he was smart enough not to spoil her. Of course a little ice cream was nothing. Why deny her the opportunity to try a new flavor? Kai nodded as they walked up the old duck.

The duck looked to the siblings. "Ah, my first customers in town. Welcome!" he said as he takes off his hat and bows to them. "Scrooge McDuck at your service." He puts his hat back on. "Would you like to be the first in town to try some new Sea Salt ice cream?"

"Yes, please." Kairi said with excitement.

"Good kids." said Scrooge. "And since your my first customers, I'll give you a discount today only. 150munny each."

Kai handed him 300munny to Scrooge, who gave him two ice cream bars. Kai gave one to his sister, who jumped for joy.

Kairi took a small bite out of the ice cream. She reveled in the its salty sweetness. "It's yummy! So salty but sweet!"

The brother took a bite himself. He too was entranced by the salty sweetness. "It's good," he simply said. Kai was never really good at expressing himself, even when it came to the simple things.

"Well," said Scrooge, "I'm glad you like it. Please spread the word. I would like the whole city to give this ice cream a try. Please stop by again, but keep in mind that next time you'll have to pay full price."

Soon Kairi spotted someone hiding around the corner. It was a boy almost as old as Kai. He had grayish-blue hair with bangs covering his right eye and cheek. He wore a black v-neck shirt, blue pants, and navy-blue shoes. The little girl walked toward the boy, followed by Kai who also noticed the boy.

"Hi there!" Kairi said to the boy. The boy just stared silently, then took a couple of steps back. "My name's Kairi. This is my brother Kai. What's your name?"

The boy took a minute to answer. "I-Ienzo."

"Ienzo?" Kairi said. "Nice to meet you, Ienzo. So what are you doing hiding back here?"

Ienzo didn't answer. He just stared at the ice cream bar in Kairi's hand. Upon closer inspection, the boy had a bit of dirt on him. He looked hungry; like he hadn't eaten in days. _He looks like he's been living on the streets recently,_ thought Kai.

Kairi noticed the boy looking at her ice cream. "You like ice cream? You should try this new flavor. It's good."

"I-I c-can't." the boy stuttered.

Kairi looked confused, "Aw, why not? Your parents won't let you or something?"

Suddenly, Ienzo gets tears in his eyes and starts sniffling uncontrollably, looking like he's about cry.

Kairi was startled, watching the tears run down his face. "Um, hey. What's wrong? Why are you crying? Come on. You can-" she was cut off by her brother's hand on her shoulder.

"You're all alone, aren't you?" Kai asked. "No home? No family?"

Ienzo nodded, whimpering.

Kairi gasped covering her mouth, realizing what she said. "Oh my! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" she cut herself off, not knowing what to say. She thought and thought about what she should do to make him feel better. She then look at her ice cream, which she remember the boy eying. "Here!" she said smiling as she held her snack toward him.

"Huh?" Ienzo's tears and sniffling halted as he look as the girls ice cream with confusion.

"Maybe this will make you feel better! You do look hungry."

Ienzo was reluctant, but after Kairi let out a cute giggle, he slow grabbed the ice cream out of her hand. He looked back at the girl, and she nodded at him. He then took a bite of the ice cream. The lonely boy smiled at Kairi, who smiled back. Kai watched the whole thing and couldn't help but smile at his sister's kindness and generosity.

As Ienzo took another bite, Kairi looked at her brother. "Um, Kai? Is there anything we can do for him?"

Kai was amazed at her concern for someone she just met. But before he could answer her question, two men approached them. One was His Lordship, Ansem the Wise, the other had dirty blond hair, wore a white lab coat and a purple ascot.

"Ah, there you are, Kai," said Ansem as the two men approached the kids.

"Lord Ansem," said Kai.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I wanted to personally deliver you your Recruit Uniform." He turned to his subordinate. "Even?"

"Yes, my lord," Even said handing Ansem the folded uniform. Ansem then handed it to Kai. The new recruit look at it. Unlike the official guard uniform, which was a dark bluish grey with a red heart sigil on the chest, the recruit uniform was a lighter grey with a blue-green heart. "This is the smallest size we have," Even said. "It may be just a tad bit baggy. You'll have to figure out the fitting yourself."

"Thanks," said Kai.

Kairi then walked up Ansem. "Um, Lord Ansem?"

Ansem turned to Kairi. "Hm? What is it, Kairi?"

"Can you help this poor boy?" she asked pointing to Ienzo. "He's all alone, and has no home or family."

Ansem kneeled down to get a closer look at the lonely boy. "What is your name, son?"

"I-Ienzo," the boy answered.

His Lordship then moved the boy's bangs from the right side of his face and saw some minor burn scarring on his cheek. "You've had it rough, haven't you, Ienzo?" Ienzo only nodded. The ruler took a minute to think, then turned to his subordinate. "Even, what do you think of this boy staying at the castle for the time being?"

Even think for a minute. "Well, I see no harm in it. And who knows, he could be helpful in the future. With your permission, I would like to test his intelligence."

"The choice is yours, Ienzo," said Ansem. "Would you like to stay at my castle?"

Ienzo was stunned at the wise man's offer. He was hesitant to give an answer. Then he looked at Kairi, who gave him a smile and a nod. He then looked back at Ansem and said, "Y-yes, sir."

Ansem smiled as he stood. "Well, then it's settled. Come along, Ienzo. I'll show you your knew home," he said as he held out his hand.

Ienzo took the ruler's hand and they start to walked away, leaving the siblings, but not before the boy turned around waving the ice cream bar Kairi gave him and said, "Thanks, Kairi."

Kairi waved back and said, "Your welcome! Bye, Ienzo!" Then she was surprised when her brother suddenly held his ice cream bar to her, as if meaning to give it to her. She looked at Kai's face and saw a smile that told her, _You earned this._ Kairi was reluctant to take her own brother's ice cream. "Are you sure, Kai?" she asked to which he responded by putting it in her hand himself. She then smiled and said, "Thank you, Big Bro."

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_KAIRI: He's always so kind and generous to me. I can tell that he puts my happiness above his own. As long as I am happy, then he is happy. Sometimes I feel like I'm just weighing him down; holding him back from his own happiness. But I can see how much he truly cares about me. Maybe someday... I'll be able to return the favor._

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**A/N: I apologize for the cheesiness in this chapter. It was difficult to come up with a way to go about this.**

**Please review, some insight might help, and I'm open to suggestions.**

**Next time: The Recruits.**


	4. The Recruits

**A/N: I've created a new challenge. Something that I haven't seen yet. I call it the ****_Keyblade Persona_**** Challenge. Basically it's a challenge to write a story where Keyblades have their own personalities, a concept I don't know if I can pull off affectively. Check my profile for more details. PM me if you accept this challenge, so I can read it.**

**Now some writers might have done this before and I just haven't seen it. If you've read a story like this, please let me know.**

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**The Recruits**

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_KAI: The Castle Guard Recruits. Basically we're the underaged rookies of the Guard. Normally one is not allowed into the Official Guard until the age of 20. But but a handful of us as young as 15 and have proven to have fighting potential are brought into a group of trainees call the Recruits. Of course, I was recruited at age 12, effectively making me the youngest ever accepted. As the son of Suzaku, the best of the Guard, I have a lot to live up to._

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It was the day the newest Recruits were to be presented. In the Central Square, the current members stood at the south side of the lower platform, while the four newest members stood the opposite side, all of them wearing their Recruit Uniforms. Five members of the Guard were spread out in between them. The guards included Aeleus, a blue lance wielder with black dreadlocks named Dilan, a Arrowgun wielder with a red scarf and slicked back hair named Braig. There was one with long silver hair and carried an impossibly long katana named Sephiroth, who was highly famous in town. And there was a brown hair and carried a laser machine gun named Laguna, who was the supervisor of the Recruits. Witnessing from the upper platform included Kairi, Grandma Elise, Yuffie, Rydia, Palom and Porom, Even, Ienzo, and the Radiant Ruler himself, Ansem.

"Attention Recruits!" shouted Dilan. "Today is a momentous day! We would like to welcome our newest additions to the Castle Guard Recruits!"

Aeleus continued, "These individuals have shown their metal to me personally and have proven their potential. Each of the new members will now step up and introduce themselves, starting from left.

A teenaged boy with short brown hair stepped up. He swung his gunblade twice before shouldering it. "My name is Squall," he said coldly. "Don't get in my way." He the returned to his previous position.

Up next came a long black-haired girl. On her fists were a pair of metal gloves. She threw a few punches and kicks. "I'm Tifa," she said sweetly. "Ready to help whenever you need it."

Next was a short blond who surprisingly had a monkey tail. He held two short swords connected together by the hilt. He split them apart and tossed them high in the air. "Curtains rise..." he said as he did a triple flip and catches the swords as he lands, "...for the swift Zidane!"

Lastly was the youngest of them all, the red-haired boy. He swung his katana twice then did a 360 degree turn for one more swing. "My name is Kai," he said. "I'm ready for anything."

"Hey!" shouted one of the older Recruits, one with violet hair, "What's a shrimp like him doing here?!"

"SILENCE!" shouted Aeleus. "You do not have permission to speak at this time, Ryu! Besides that's the son of Suzaku you're talking about. Show some respect!"

The boy named Ryu grumbled something under his breath.

Braig then spoke up. "Alright newbies, listen up! You are now part of the Recruits. Now, does this mean you are automatically big shots? As if! You'll be expected to attend training hours everyday, where you will be devoting much of you time to your training. Laguna will be your supervisor. Once in a while, you'll be given patrol duty. During your patrols, you'll be expected to report anything suspicious and help cease any serious chaos that occurs in town."

"We're going to warn you right now," added Sephiroth. "Any 'funny business' will result in punishment. Depending on the act, you either be doing extra drills, or, in more severe cases, will receive a very painful reward. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" declared the newbies.

Laguna stretched his legs a little and stepped up. "Okay," he said. "Now, I know you guys are new, but rest assured I treat everyone on this team with equal love and respect." He then turned to the older members. "So, I expect the same from each and every one of you. I don't wanna see anyone putting the them down just because their new. New or not, your all rookies on this team. No one is above or beneath another. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" declared the Recruits.

"Alright then," Laguna continue. "Let's let the kids get to know each other, shall we? And what better what to learn each other's strengths than by having a short spar? I'll choose one of the older members to go up against each of our newest additions. The match will go on until I say stop. Let's see, who's first?" He looked at the Recruits in thought. "Okay, Lightning how about you face off against Squall."

Squall walked up to the center as a pink-haired girl, Lightning, did the same. The girl pulled out a laser gun out of it's holster, but then the gun quickly morphed into a sword.

"Well," said Squall, "That's an interesting sword you have." He readied his gunblade.

"I would say the same thing about yours," Lightning said as she readied her own gunblade.

"Okay you two," said Laguna. "I want a good clean fight." He then raised his hand. "Ready..." after a brief pause he swung his hand down, "GO!"

The two began to clash blade with each other again and again. Lightning shoved Squall away and her gunblade morphed into gun mode. She set it for stun and began shooting lasers at him. Squall deflected the shots and charge toward her. He pulled the trigger on his gunblade, adding a slight jolt to his blade. Lightning quickly morphed her weapon back to sword mode and blocked the attack. Due to the jolt on Squall's blade, there was a minor flare burst upon collision, which shoved Lightning away a little. Lighting then casted a few thunder spells. Squall dodged and clashed swords a few more times until they reach a deadlock.

Then Laguna clapped his hands and said, "Alright, I think that's enough. Well done, Squall, and you too, Lightning."

The two relaxed themselves. Lightning held out her hand. "You're definitely no slouch, that's for sure," she said.

Squall then took her hand and they shook. "You're not bad yourself," he said. The two of them returned to their places.

"Okay, who's next." Laguna looked around. He noticed both Tifa and a spiky blond boy eying each other and he smirked, "How about Cloud against Tifa."

The spiky blond, Cloud, walked up hesitantly with a with a longsword in hand, approached by Tifa.

"I never thought you'd join the recruits," said Cloud.

Tifa shrugged, "Well, someone has to keep an eye on a low-spirited guy like you, Cloud," she replied sweetly. Then she readied you metal-covered fists. "Just don't hold back on me, okay?"

"Um...okay," Cloud said hesitantly.

"Give it your all," said Laguna "Ready...GO!"

Tifa instantly charged at Cloud. She threw several punches at him. Cloud dodged and blocked the punches and then swung his sword at her a few times. She dodged the slashes and then delivered a hard kick to his gut. Cloud staggered back a little bit holding his stomach. He then charged again, only for Tifa to grab his sword arm by the wrist, pull it behind his behind firmly and painfully, causing him to drop his sword, and force him to his knees, holding him in that position.

Tifa sighed. "If you're not gonna take me seriously, then you seriously need someone to whip you into shape."

"I'll...keep that...in mind," Cloud grunted in defeat.

Laguna clapped. "Not bad! Not bad at all, young lady! I think a CQC specialist is a fine addition." he said as Tifa let go of Cloud and they returned to their places. "Alright let's see. Bartz, Zidane, you're up."

Zidane and a light brown-haired boy wearing a red cape, Bartz, approached each other.

"Think you can keep up with me?" asked Zidane as he read his short swords. "Don't be mad if I steal your spotlight."

Bartz's hands began to glow, and in a flash of light, a short sword just like Zidane's appeared in each hand. "Don't be mad if I steal your spotlight," he quoted.

"Hey! Don't copy me!"

Bartz laughed. "Here, I'm known as the Mimicker. Better get used to it."

"Oh yeah! We'll just see who steals the victory."

"Well," said Laguna. "Can't wait to see this one. Ready...GO!"

Zidane leap toward Bartz with a spinning attack. Bartz defended and shoved him away, then mimicked the same move. Zidane dodged it, reconnected his swords and charged at Bartz as he spun his double blade. Bartz did the same thing and they collided over and over with each other. Soon it pretty much turned into a mirror match, with neither side giving an edge.

Laguna clapped once again. "Okay, I think we should end it here before this drags out too long. Well done, both of you."

Bartz's short sword then disappeared. "Well, that sure was fun," he said.

"I gotta admit," said Zidane, "you not bad...for a copycat." The two then return to their places.

"Okay, last one," said Laguna. "Ryu, you against Kai."

Ryu stepped up with two scimitars sheathed on his back. Kai approached with his katana in hand.

Ryu glared in disgust. "Since when did the Guard start letting in pipsqueaks like you?" This earned him a glare from most everyone in the area, especially Kai. "You don't belong here. You should leave the real warriors to their work and just take a hike."

"Hey, Ryu!" said Laguna. "What did I say about picking on the little guys?"

"Little is right!" Ryu exclaimed. "I mean look at him! He's too young for this! He's not fit to be a soldier! I bet he just got a free pass just because of his father!"

_He has a point,_ thought Squall. _Why did they pick a kid like him?_

_I hope this kid knows what he's doing,_ thought Cloud.

Kai then pointed his katana at Ryu. He spoke not a word but gave him a glare that told him 'Don't underestimate me!'.

Ryu smirked and said, "Fine then. You asked for it." He unsheathed one of his scimitars. "After I'm done with you, you'll be crying for your mommy."

Meanwhile in the audience, Kairi was not happy with how Ryu was talk to her brother. She then shout, "Come on Big Bro! Show that jerk who's boss!"

Hearing his sister's cheer, Kai smirked. _With pleasure,_ he thought as he steeled himself. Lightning noticed Kai's reaction to his sister's support and saw a certain fire his eyes that none of the other Recruits saw. This made her curious to how this boy will fight.

"Alright," said Laguna. "Let's see what you've got. Ready... GO!"

Kai charged in and began a barrage of attacks. Ryu, however, stayed on defense as he yawned cockily. "Is this the best you can do? Puh-lease," he mocked him. Soon Ryu shoved Kai away and then casted a three fire spells from his palm. Kai dodged the fireballs swiftly and clashed swords with him one more. Ryu then whispered, "You're life isn't worth spit." He then shoved Kai sword aside and attempted to behead Kai. But Kai quickly ducked down avoiding the slash, then quickly jump up and attacked. Due to the surprise, Ryu's attempt to defend ended with him getting his scimitar knocked out of his hand, falling on his butt, and freezing stiff as Kai's katana was up close and pointing at his neck.

Laguna clapped his hands. "Sweet! Very impressive, Kai." Kai then lowered his weapon.

_This boy sure has talent, no question about that,_ thought Aeleus.

_Well,_ thought Sephiroth, _he's an interesting one, that kid._

Ansem smirked, _No doubt he is his father's son._

"Okay, I think we've seen enough for today," said Laguna, turning to the rest of the Guard, who all nodded in agreement. "Right, you all have the rest of the day off. Report tomorrow at ten o'clock at the east corner of the Outer Gardens, is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" said the Recruits.

"Okay then. You're all dismissed!"

"Except Ryu," said Dilan, "I'd like to have a talk with him."

As the recruits started to leave, Ryu stood up, grumbling at Dilan's statement and the fact that he was knocked down by a 12-year-old.

"You lost quicker that I expected, Ryu," said Lightning.

"What?!" Ryu snapped turning to the speaker.

"You were careless." Lightning said bluntly. "First rule in the Recruits is to never underestimate your opponent. Never judge a book by it's cover. Get overconfident and you're done for."

"I don't need a lecture from you!" Ryu snapped.

"Hmph. Just remember that you lost to the same person you called a 'pipsqueak'."

Ryu grunted as he walked up to Laguna and Dilan.

Lightning then looked at Kai meeting up with his younger sister, Kairi, who was excited at how awesome her big brother was in that fight. Lightning smirked as she walked away, meeting up with her own younger sister, Serah.

"Wow," Serah said, "For a little guy, that new boy sure did great, didn't he?"

"Indeed," Lightning said. She looked back at Kai and Kairi. _And I think I can see why,_ she thought.

* * *

"Listen Ryu," Dilan said strictly, "I let you into the Recruits because you showed promise. Just like every one else in the Recruits, including Kai. Aeleus would not have let him in if he didn't show it."

"You had no right to belittle him and claim he got a free pass," added Laguna. "I'm sure Lord Ansem has a good reason for accepting him despite his age."

"I still think you guys are playing favorites with him," said Ryu. "What is so great about his father anyway? My father was a lot stronger than him!"

"Ryu!" shouted Dilan. "We will NOT be going there again! You're a strong Recruit, no question. But you lack discipline, and that attitude of yours is unbecoming of a soldier."

Laguna sighed and said, "If you really want to be a member of the Guard, you need to lose that superiority complex, take your training seriously, and don't do anything stupid, like your father did."

Ryu growled. "You don't understand anything!"

"This conversation is over!" said Dilan. "Dismissed."

Ryu glared at them and walked away.

Dilan than turned to Laguna. "And you are not disciplining him enough."

Laguna gave a nervous smile as he scratched the back of his head. "Hey, they're still kids, you know. If you're too strict to them, they could rebel against you. I personally don't want them to think we're trying to control their way of life."

"They're not children in our eyes, they are soldiers-in-training. If they want to join us, they need to know how we do things. They have to focus. We need them to do their job right. You can't pamper them, or else they'll think they can do whatever they want. We can't allow them cross any forbidden lines,...like Zabuza did."

* * *

"You were great, Kai!" Kairi said excitedly. "You sure showed that meanie!"

Kai smiled. "Like I'd lose to him," he said.

Kairi giggled, "I'm really glad you joined, Big Bro. I know you'll do great!"

"Thanks, Kairi."

"And who knows. Maybe you'll make some new friend here."

Kai gave a nervous laugh at that. The two then shared a touching hug.

* * *

_KAI: I made a good first impression. I showed them that I am not to be taken lightly. But, I'm not stupid. I know that I must take my training seriously. I need to get stronger still. I'll do whatever it takes to fulfill my vow._

* * *

**A/N: Ryu is another OC in this story. You will hate this guy later on. I don't if you'll love to hate him or just flat-out hate him. I guess we'll just see.**

**Also I know Laguna and Lightning shoot bullets not lasers. But I thought if Braig can shoot lasers, then why can't anyone else in the guard?**


	5. Visitors

**A/N: And here comes the first scene from canon, altered slightly with my own personal touch.**

* * *

**Visitors**

* * *

_KAI: It had been a month, since I joined the Recruits. I've been at hard work training to improve myself. But I still have a long way to go. Just as I've grown accustom to my group, Radiant Garden receives visitors from the outside world. Both welcome...and unwelcome._

* * *

Kai's time in the Recruits was going smoothly. He was on good terms with most of the team. The supervisor, Laguna, was a decent man, although he sometime he overdid it with is talk about love, friendship, brothers-in-arms, which annoyed most of the gang, especially Squall. Kai wondered how he became the supervisor, but didn't disagree with his beliefs. Cloud was someone Kai could relate to, both lacking in social skills. Squall was difficult to get along with, always being blunt and skeptical with others. Bartz, Tifa and Zidane have been pushing the quiet ones, Kai included, to join the friendly banter. Kai's social skills have improved, if only a tiny bit.

The member Kai seemed to be on the best terms with was Lightning. While she's just as blunt as Squall most of the time, she seemed to have a lot of respect for Kai ever since his first match with Ryu. She was Kai's sparring partner the most often, and she would give him tips on how to improve from time to time.

The only member Kai didn't like was Ryu. The two of them have had a bitter rivalry going on. Kai didn't like the way the jerk always looked at him as if he stole something from him. Ryu would always look for an excuse to badmouth the kid, trying to bring him down. But Kai always stayed quiet, suppressing his urge to beat him into a bloody pulp. Thankfully, Ryu's attempts at breaking Kai didn't go unnoticed by the others, who spoke up for the little guy.

A month had passed since the new members joined. The group was in the East Outer Gardens, taking a short break from their exercises. But, Squall spots a suspicious person. "Hey, who's that?" he asked pointing to the figure.

Everybody turns to look at the figure, who wore a red and black jumpsuit and a helmet made of dark glass, hiding its face. Judging from the size, the person looked no older than most of the Recruit. The figure look up at the at the walls of the city.

"I have no idea," said Laguna. "Gloomy looking fellow, isn't he?" Then he decided to approach the figure. "Excuse me sir. Would you mind stating your business?"

Their was a brief moment of silence. "A pure light resides in this city," he said, his voice confirming him to be a sinister sounding male teen. "I think I'll go check it out." He starts to walk towards the gate, but then was grabbed by the arm by Laguna.

"Hey, wait just a second..." Laguna started to say but was cut off by a sudden invisible force blasting him away.

Seeing this, Ryu charge toward with both of his scimitars. "Hey! outsider! You have no business attacking us! Get lost!" He leapt toward the masked boy, raising his swords to attack.

Suddenly, in a shaft of dark flames, an odd-looking red and black weapon that looked somewhat like a key, though some of its design looked like it was made up of gears. The masked boy blocked Ryu attack with little effort. "You're out of your league," he said as he flung Ryu far away onto the ground.

Kai immediately dashed toward the dark figure with his katana. But then a fiery energy began to channel through the opponent's weapon until it reached the tip. The figure then pointed his weapon at the Kai and a large fireball burst out of its tip. Kai skid to a halt as the burning sphere split into multiple smaller fireballs and scattered. One hit the ground in front of Kai, knocking him back, while others zipped past him to the rest of the Recruits, who either blocked or dodged the flames.

"You're not worth my time," the masked boy said. Then a dark aura surrounded him and dark blue creatures with blood red eye began to appearing all around them. Some were small and looked shadowy, some looked more humanoid with claws, and some were big and fat. The masked boy then dove into the ground, turning into a dark shadow and zipped into the town.

Laguna got out his machine gun and began firing a flurry of lasers. "Everyone! Battle stations!" he shouted. Everyone was fight the strange creatures. Squall, Cloud, and Ryu were slicing away at the clawed ones. Zidane, Bartz, and Tifa were taking out the shadowy ones. Lightning joined Laguna on the laser shooting, primarily aiming for the big ones.

Kai on the other hand was more focused on dashing through the enemies rather than actually fighting them. Sure, he slice through every one that got in front of him, but he was more concerned about get inside the town where the dark figure entered.

Laguna noticed what was doing and shouted, "Hey! Where are you going?! Come back!" But it fell on deaf ears.

WIth all the monsters and that dark figure, Kai had only one thing in mind. _Kairi, I gotta make sure she's safe. Please be alright!_

* * *

Little Kairi was skipping around one of the gardens inside the town. Sudden a giant thing came out of nowhere and flew passed her, starling her and causing her to fall into the grass.

"Stop!" she heard someone shout. She turned to look and saw a teenaged boy with blond spiky hair, wore black and white and a left shoulder guard. Noticing Kairi, the boy skid to a halt and helped her up. "You okay, kid?" he asked. Kairi just stared and gave him a nod. "Good. Sorry, cant talk! I gotta catch that thing!" he said quickly as he bolted after that strange creature.

Kairi just tilted her head in confusion. But then she shrugged it off as just continued skipping around the garden. She spotted some lovely flowers and decided to pick them. After getting a few in a bundle, she suddenly felt an erie presence behind her. Hesitant, she turned to look and saw a dark blue creature with blood-red eyes. Kairi screamed in fright and ran away with the creature in pursuit.

The scared girl ran and ran until she found herself at the castle's Front Doors. She bumped into something that seemed to have come out of nowhere and fell on her bum. She looked up and saw a figure in a red and black jumpsuit and a dark glass helmet. Kairi felt an ominous air about him. She couldn't fathom what it was, but she felt cold and like she was suffocating. This person; just his mere presence terrified the poor girl.

"So," the masked boy said, "You're one of the seven pure lights, huh? I never thought I find one in such a small fragile child." Kairi had no idea what he was talking about, but she was too frightened to care. Then more of those blue monsters appeared behind him. Kairi quickly got up and ran away while the creatures gave chase. The masked boy then sensed something approaching and disappeared into darkness.

As Kairi ran, she could of sworn she her someone shout, "Run!" She then found herself up against a wall. She looked back and as one of the creatures leapt up toward her, she ducked her head causing the monster to hit the wall. The girl then spotted someone approaching, someone she for some reason felt a lot safer than the masked boy. Drawn to the person she quickly ran through an opening in the hoard of creatures until she was behind the person.

Kairi got a good look at the person, who turned out to be a young woman with blue hair, blue eyes, wore a black skintight outfit with large white sleeves and long white sashes around her waist. She carried an odd-looking blue weapon that look kinda like a key. Still scared for her life, she grabbed onto the handle of the woman's weapon for a brief moment, feeling a slight jolt in her hand and a tingle going through her arm before letting go.

Then one of the monsters leapt up to attack, only to be intercepted and destroyed by mouse. A mouse almost as tall as Kairi had big round ears, wore black, and carried a similar looking weapon as the woman. "Hurry!" shouted the mouse. "You gotta get that girl to someplace that is safe!"

"Who are you?" asked the woman. "Why do you have a Keyblade?"

"I'll tell you later! Right now we gotta stop these things!"

Kairi was startled when she suddenly felt an arm wrap around her waist and picked her up. The woman carried the girl down the stairs away from the monster. When they reach the bottom the woman gently set her down on her feet. She then place her hand on Kairi's shoulder and asked, "Are you okay?"

Kairi looked at her savior in the eyes. The woman was so beautiful and her eyes were so gentle. The girl felt a very warm comforting, relieving her from the cold terror she felt earlier. "Uh, I think so," she finally said.

The woman smiled and said, "Good." She then turned back to the stairs. "Stay here. I'll be right back." She rushed back up the stairs.

Kairi couldn't get that warmth out of her mind. She felt drawn to that blue-haired woman. Curiosity getting the better of her, she ran back up the stair. She got high enough to see but low enough to stay hidden. She watched as the woman and the mouse took down the monsters one by one. She was in awe at the battle. The way they struck them with their 'Keyblades'(as the woman called them), casting magic to burn, freeze and zap them, even when they did a teamed up by blasting them with sparkles while spinning around. It was the most wondrous sight she had ever seen.

Soon, all the monster were defeated. Feeling safe, Kairi ran up the two of them. The mouse looked at her. "You alright?" The girl nodded. The mouse smiled at her turned toward the woman.

The woman kneeled down and said, "Thank you. My name is Aqua. I train under Master Eraqus."

"And I'm Mickey," said the mouse. "I used to be Yen Sid's apprentice. I came back to him for some more training."

Aqua nodded and looked at Kairi. "I sense light within this girl. You think that's why they attacked her?"

"Yup," Mickey answered. "I think you might be absolutely right. If you ask me, she must be something pretty extraordinary."

Kairi wasn't sure what they were talking about, but she was flattered.

"Yes," said Aqua. "I'm quite certain she's someone we're supposed to protect."

"Let's join forces," said Mickey. But then something on him started glowing brightly. "Oh! Not Now!" The mouse then became engulfed in the light, startling both Aqua and Kairi. "Don't worry about me! I'll be okay!" The light shot up, zigzagging into the sky. "See you real soon!"

Both females were stunned at the sight as Mickey left. Kairi then looked at Aqua, she wanted to show her appreciation, and tried to think of how. She looked at the flowers that were still in her hand. She smiled and held them toward her savior and said, "Here!"

Aqua snapped out of her stupor and looked at the girl and her flowers. She smiled sweetly and asked, "Are these for me?"

Kairi nodded. "I picked you some flowers. Thank you for saving me!"

Aqua took the flowers from her hand. "Aw! There lovely! You're so sweet!"

"My name's Kairi. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm Aqua."

"That was so awesome!." The little girl said jumping up and down. "The way you two beat all those monsters. You're really amazing, Aqua!"

Aqua blushed at the compliment. "Th-thank you."

"I wonder if my big brother will become as awesome as you." Kairi then blushed. "I wonder if...I could be that amazing."

Aqua giggled as she patted the little girl's head, making her smile sweetly. "Kairi, about that light-" but she as cut off by an elderly voice calling.

"Kairi!" They look to find it was Grandma Elise.

"Oh, Grandma!" shouted Kairi.

"Wait, Kairi." said Aqua, turning the girls attention back to her. "Just a minute." Aqua then place two fingers on the necklace around Kairi's neck and a glowed a little. Kairi was a bit confused. Then Aqua said, "I just casted a magic spell on you. One day when you're in trouble, the light within you will lead you to the light of another. Someone to keep you safe."

Kairi smiled and said, "Thanks!" She then ran over her grandmother.

"There you are," said Grandma Elise. "It's time to go."

"Kay!" the girl said. "Oh!" She turned around and waved at Aqua. "Bye!" Aqua waved back and Kairi grabbed her grandma's hand as they walked away.

"Who is that my dear?" asked Grandma.

"That's Aqua." Kairi answered. "She just saved me from a bunch of monsters. You should've seen her. She was amazing!"

"Really?" Elise looked back at the woman. _Something tells they didn't run into each other by accident,_ she thought.

"Hey, Grandma?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Can you tell me that story?"

Elise chuckled. "Again dear?" Indeed, that story was one Kairi loved so much that she never got tired of hearing it.

"Please?" Kairi made such a cute begging face that Elise couldn't refuse.

Grandma chuckled. "Very well then."

Kairi giggled as she listened intently.

Grandma Elise began the story. "Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then, people began to fight over it. That wanted to keep it for themselves, and darkness was born in there hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It cover everything and the world disappeared. But, small fragments of light survived in the hearts of children." Kairi was flattered at that part. "With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered; divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light will return. So listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away."

Behind them, Aqua had listen in on the story as she watched them leave. "Kairi," she said to herself as she looked at the flowers. "Something tells me I didn't run into her by accident."

* * *

_KAIRI: That was the day I met the most wonderful person ever. Aqua. I'll never be able to thank her enough for saving my life. I hope I'll be able to meet her again someday. Someday,...I want to be just like her._

* * *

**A/N: That is how I interpret Kairi's meeting with Aqua from Kairi's point of view. I added my own personal touches to the canon material just for the heck of it. Hey, description says it's close to canon, not 100% canon. The day's not over yet. There's still a little bit more right after this in the next chapter.**


	6. Keyblade Master

**A/N: Man, this took me a while to do. Partially because I was debating on where I wanted to end this fic, but mostly because I was just lacking the motivation. Out of the two fanfics on this site, this one has less views, currently less than half of the views of the other one.**

* * *

**Keyblade Master**

* * *

_KAIRI: I had just met the most amazing woman. I couldn't wait to tell my brother about her._

* * *

Kai was rushing through the city, looking for Kairi, cutting down every red-eyed monster that got in his way. His was worried about his sister, and determined to make sure she was alright. Soon he made it to one of the gardens where he finally spotted her with Grandma Elise. He felt relief as he dashed to them. "Kairi!" he said.

Kairi smiled seeing her brother and waved. "Hey, Kai!" The two of them share a big hug.

"Kai," said Grandma. "Thank goodness."

"All these monsters..." Kai said, being the socially awkward kid he is, trying to find the words. "...I was getting worried."

"I'm okay, Brother." Kairi then jump up and down excitedly. "But you'll never guess what happened! I was around here picking some flower, when this red-eyed monster came out of nowhere and chased me to castle!" Kai was startled by this news. "Then more of them came! I was so scared! But then this blue-haired woman came to my rescue! You should've seen her! She was amazing! She teamed up with this mouse almost a big as me, and they fought those monsters off with those...um...I think she called them Keyblades."

_Keyblades,_ Kai thought. He had heard about the mythical weapons called the Keyblades. He didn't know much about them other than they were swords shaped like keys, and that they are rumored to be the most powerful weapons. This was the first time he heard of someone actually possessing one.

Kairi continue. "They got rid of them, the mouse left in a hurry, and I gave Aqua the flowers I picked to thank her. She even casted a magic spell to protect me."

Kai could see how excited his sister was to have met this woman. But something was bugging him. He doesn't recall any blue-haired woman being in the Guard, nor one that wielded a Keyblade. He guessed that this 'Aqua' was not from around here. She just happened to be around while those creatures are attacking the town. They attacked Kairi and he wasn't there to protect her. If it wasn't for this Keyblade Wielder stopping by, who know what could've happened? Just that thought depressed Kai. He felt guilty for not being there for Kairi in her time of need, and after vowing to always protect her.

As if reading his mind Kai's mind, Kairi said. "Hey. Don't worry, Big Bro. I'm alright."

Soon they all heard weird whirring sound. They looked up and were startled to see a large armored propeller-like monster. It swooped down, barely missing them. The monster plowed itself through a large metal door at the top of a set of stairs.

"What was that?" asked Elise.

Then a blue-haired woman carrying a key-shaped weapon leaped down the ledges, dashed up the stairs and into the busted open door.

"Aqua!" Kairi shouted.

_So that's Aqua,_ thought Kai. He watched as the Keyblade wielder ran out of sight. He was curious to see this woman's power himself. With that in mind, Kai instantly dashed toward the door.

Kairi was surprised by her brother's action. "Kai!?"

Kai stopped for a second and looked back. "Stay here!" he said as he continued to follow Aqua. Kairi tried to follow as well, but Grandma held her back.

* * *

Kai ran through the busted door and finds himself on the upper platform of the Reactor. He looks down at the lower platform and spots Aqua, along with two other individuals. Both had spiky hair, one was a tall man with brown hair, the other was a teenaged boy with blond. All three of them each held a key-shaped sword in their hand. Above them he saw three armored creatures in the air. Soon, they transformed and combined into one giant monster. The monster then engaged the trio. Knowing this battle was out of his league, Kai just sat on the upper platform and watched.

The battle was intense. The monster kept trying to either crush them with its armored body or zap them with lasers. The Key Bearers fought it off with skillful strikes and magic. The brunette hit it with powerful blows, the blond was quick and agile, and Aqua mostly used strong magic. Soon the monster split back into three were the warriors took them down one by one.

After the battle, they gathered together proud of their successful teamwork. Kai couldn't help but overhear their conversation. The blond boy handed them these passports to someplace called Disney Town. Kai also heard them mention a masked boy, to which he wondered if it was the same masked figure he saw in the outer gardens. What really got his attention was the tall one's outburst, 'Were you spying on me?!' That started a loud argument, in which the tall one was snapping at Aqua, the blond kid siding with the tall one, and Aqua trying to explain to them. Unfortunately, it didn't end well. The tall one left first, followed by the kid soon after.

As they left, Kai looked at Aqua with pity. She looked hurt by what they said to her. The young Recruit wanted to help, though he's never been good with other people's feelings. But because she saved his sister, and he wanted to thank her for that anyway, he thought he had to at least try. He looked down the edge of the high platform and found a spot he could climb down, which he carefully did.

Kai slowly approached the young woman, who was too lost in thought to noticed the quiet boy. He took a second to think of what to say, until finally he stammered, "E-excuse me, Miss? A-are you alright?"

Aqua snapped out of her stupor and looked at the boy who, to her, seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. She looked back down before answering, "I-it's nothing." Not very convincing.

Kai look toward the direction the other two went then back. "So..." he paused for a second, "what was that all about?" This caused Aqua to give him a somewhat surprise look as she held her fist up to her chest. Kai, thinking he's upset her, looked down in shame. "I-I'm sorry," he said nervously "I-I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I saw your b-battle with the giant monster and I-"

"It's okay," the woman reassured. Seeing this boy's shyness made her giggle a little. It was a refresher from that argument. She had to admit, for a shy kid, it took guts to walk up to a stranger and show concern. Seeing that he's calmed down, she kneeled and said, "My name is Aqua. What's yours?"

"Kai," the boy answered. "You...saved my little sister earlier."

"Little sister?" Aqua then saw the resemblance. The red hair, the violet eyes, as well as remembering said girl mentioning a brother. "You mean Kairi?"

Kai nodded. "I wanted to thank you for saving her."

"It was nothing, really. I saw that she was in trouble and, naturally, I did what was right."

The boy looked down. "But it was supposed to be my job to protect her, and yet I was too far away. If you hadn't been here, I doubt I would've made in time."

"I see. Well, you're welcome then." Aqua paused as she noticed the boy looking somewhat depressed. "You care a lot about Kairi, don't you?"

Kai hesitated for a minute. "My dad died before she was born. And mom died giving birth to her. Besides Grandma, she's the only family I have. I decided to join the Guard so I can get stronger, so I can protect her."

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Someone so young, is one of the castle's Guards?"

Kai scratched the back of his head nervously. "W-well...n-not yet exactly. I-I'm...uh...actually apart of the Recruits, the...uh...underaged rookies...pretty much. But, I-I am three years younger than the n-normal minimum age."

"You must be pretty skilled for them to accept you."

"I've been told that I take after my father. H-he was considered the best." Kai then looked back down. "My first chance to prove I would always protect my sister...and I wasn't even there for her."

Aqua could see where the young Recruit was coming from. She too wants to protect those she considered family. If she were in his position, she'd probably feel the same way: powerless despite the efforts. "Hey, don't blame yourself. Those monster's, the Unversed, they haven't been wreaking havoc until just recently. We don't know where they came from. All we know is that they are negative emotions brought to life."

"I saw this person wearing a mask and wielding a similar weapon as you controlling those things earlier. If I heard correctly, those other guys mentioned a masked boy. Who is he anyway?"

The young woman stood up as she thought. "To be honest, I don't know. That was the first I've heard of him. We were only told about the Unversed and the disappearance of Keyblade Master Xehanort."

"Sounds like you three are on an important mission."

"It was actually supposed to be just mine and Terra's mission. Ventus, the...younger boy, wasn't even supposed to be here. Apparently, he was so worried about Terra that he went after him." Aqua looked down. "And with these rumors I've been hearing about Terra, and Ven mentioning that masked boy badmouthing him, I'm starting to see why."

Kai was wondering if these rumors had anything to do the argument he witnessed. He debated as to whether or not he should bring up this touchy subject. Curiosity getting the better of him, he hesitantly asked, "I-is there...something wrong...with Terra?"

Aqua sighed and said. "Terra and I recently took a Mark of Mastery exam. It's...how us Keyblade Wielders earn the right to be name Keyblade Masters. During the test, Terra accidentally let his darkness show. And because of that, he failed, while I passed. When our master gave us this mission, he told Terra that this would be a second chance to earn the Mark of Mastery. Behind Terra's back, Master Eraqus told me to keep in eye on him. I was confident that Terra wouldn't fail again. But then I heard these rumors about him doing terrible things and succumbing to the darkness. And now a decide to confront him about it." Aqua looked down, depressed. "Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut. Terra and Ven both misunderstood mine and the Master's intentions. Terra accusing me of spying, and Ven accusing me of letting my new title go to my head."

Kai saw a tear run down Aqua's cheek. He saw just how hurt she was by those words coming out of the mouths of her own friends.

"How could they even think such things?" she said. "Those two are like brothers to me. Master Eraqus even told Terra that he views him like a son. We're just worried about them. Neither of us want to lose them. Now...I don't know what I should do."

Kai felt sorry for the Keyblade Master. This was one of the reasons he mostly kept to himself: He didn't want to say something that would upset anyone. If that didn't bother him enough, he feared what would happen if he ever got into a serious argument like that with Kairi. He didn't know what he'd do. Still, he wanted Aqua to feel better. So he decided to try. "You said you consider them brothers, right?"

Aqua hesitated for a second. "Yes."

"I've never been in an argument with Kairi. But if I ever did, I'd find a way to work it out. I-I mean...I've heard arguments are common among siblings, but no matter what it was, they still love each other, whether they admit it or not. Even if it was h-her who made me angry, I'd still always protect her from any harm. A-and if I made her angry, I'd do my best to show her how I feel, regardless of what she thinks of me. No matter what...I will get stronger...I'll become as strong as I must...for her."

With that, Aqua felt a little better. She still had her doubts, but she took the young swordsman's words to heart. She looked at the kid with great interest. She admired his devotion to his sister. For a seemingly shy kid, he had a big heart. And the fact that he was accepted into the rookies of the Guard at such a young age, she guessed that he must a prodigy swordsman. While his urge to become stronger did worry her a little, she figured if it was for his sister's protection and not personal interest, there was nothing to worry about. She thought he was a trustworthy person. Perhaps that's why she felt she could tell him about her problems.

After a bit of thinking the Keyblade Master knelt down and smiled at Kai. "You know, I believe in you, Kai." This got Kai's attention. "Kairi is a very special girl. When I met her, I could sense a very strong pure light within her. She _should_ be protected, especially from the forces of darkness. I can tell just by looking at you that you will become a fine swordsman someday. And your strong devotion to your sister is admirable. I believe _you_ should be the one to protect her." She then held out her hand and in a shaft of light her blue Keyblade appeared. "_In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. But beware, as darkness lingers in every heart, even yours. If you are not careful, then hatred and lust for power could lead you off your intended course._" She held it by the shaft, facing the handle toward the boy. "_But keep the light in your heart strong and you'll rise above, so long as you champion the ones you love._"

Kai stared at the Keyblade. He hesitated at first but then calm down as he slowly grabbed hold of the handle. After a few seconds, he felt a slight jolt on his hand and a tingling sensation running through his arm.

"Big Bro!" shouted a familiar voice. Kai let go of the Keyblade and turn to the upper platform and saw Kairi waving at them excitedly. Both Kai and Aqua waved back.

Aqua then whispered in the boy ear. "Let's keep this whole thing between us, okay?"

"Okay," replied Kai.

"I'd best be going." Aqua petted the top of the boy's head. "Perhaps we'll meet again someday."

"Yeah. And...I hope things work out between you and your...brothers."

Aqua nodded as she walked away. She was hoping performing the Bequeathing was the right thing to do. But then she thought Kai would need all the power he could get to protect Kairi. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. She remembered that Kairi had touch her Keyblade during their encounter. She wondered if the Bequeathing was accidentally performed on the little girl.

As the Keyblade Master walked away, Kai walked toward the upper platform. On his way, he couldn't help but be impressed with himself. That was the most he had ever spoken in a single conversation, and he did seem to cheer her up a little. _Perhaps my social skills are starting to get better,_ he thought. _Being in the Recruits must be starting to rub off on me._ He climbed back up the high platform and met up with his sister.

"Well," said Kairi, "Is she as awesome as I said?"

"Yes," Kai said caressing his sister's hair. "Yes, she is."

"So, what were you two talking about?"

"W-well, I was just thanking her for saving my sister. That's all."

"Oh really?" she said sarcastically. She may have been four, but she wasn't stupid. She knew it was more that just thanking her.

Kai then looked at the hand that touched Aqua's Keyblade.

* * *

_KAI: The Keyblade. A truly magnificent weapon. To be able to see one in person and in action is such an honor. If I had a weapon like that, I could be unstoppable. I could protect Kairi from anything. How I wish to have that kind of power._

* * *

**A/N: I was debating whether or not Kai should meet Aqua. Finally, I decided it wouldn't hurt. I also decided to do my own version of the Keyblade Bequeathing ritual. Since the one Terra did with Riku seemed to refer to the island they were on, I figured I'd make one that was more fitting for the circumstances.**


End file.
